The compass
by El loopy
Summary: What if Elizabeth realised the significance of the fact that Jack knew she was sitting on the chest. Set between Jack finding the chest and digging up the chest in DMC. One shot. ExJ


**Summery: What if Elizabeth realised the significance of the fact that Jack knew she was sitting on the chest. Set between Jack finding the chest and digging up the chest. This is based on the theory that the compass needle was pointing at Jack when Elizabeth was holding it and when she threw it into the sand and Jack looked at it it stopped spinning because both the things Jack wanted were in the same place. Again I'm thinking that the compass points in a direction depending on who's looking at it and not who was the last to hold it.**

**Disclaimer: Not mine**

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"This doesn't work!" Elizabeth declared sulkily, throwing the compass into the sand and plonking herself down, "and it certainly doesn't show you what you want most." 

Jack crept up and glanced at the compass half buried in the hot grains.

"Yes it does," he breathed. The dial was sitting at a shivering halt, pointing at Elizabeth. Jack shook himself mentally and waved his hands at her. "You're sitting on it," he announced in a normal voice.

"Beg pardon?" she asked sharply and looked at him.

"Move," he made a shooing motion for her to shift, whistling like she was a dog, then gestured to Norrington who rolled his eyes and dug in the spade.

Elizabeth pulled a strand of dirty blonde hair from the front of her face and stepped back objectively to view the scene. The sun was beating down on the island causing the air across the glaring beach to waver. Through the shimmering heat she could see a green jungle in the distance with tall trees and beckoning shade. Why did these pirates always bury their treasure out in the middle of the beach when there was usually a perfectly good shady area mere metres away? Elizabeth swiped her hand across her forehead, brushing away the sweat. Fortunately the sea brought a slight breeze with it, scattering refreshing salt spray. Her eyes fell on the compass and its quivering needle. As she looked it swung wildly from side to side. A distressed look crossed her face and she turned away, biting her lip…only to turnsharply back a moment later with a frown.

"Shows you what you want?" she mouthed to herself and then smirked and looked at Jack standing protectively next to the hole Norrington was digging. The ex-commodore was filthy, still covered in mud and dirt from when she'd first found him, though he no longer smelt like walking liquor. His hair fell like rats tails around his face in dirty clumps and she felt a momentary pang that she had partially caused the downfall of this once proud and honourable man, who had become the thing in life that he hated the most. The feeling didn't last long though before she shook it off.

"Captain," she asked smoothly, addressing Jack, "don't you need the jar of dirt to put the heart in?"

Jack glanced askew at her then shrugged.

"Oi, you, Norrington, go get my jar for me, be a mate."

James stabbed the spade violently into the sand and stomped off muttering.

Jack tilted his head at Elizabeth and narrowed his eyes.

"What did you wish to say Miss Swann? I assume, of course, that you did wish to _speak_ alone and not just be alone as there would be very little time for any…more intimate… interactions." He dropped his voice suggestively.

Elizabeth folded her arms seemingly unimpressed, though her heart was racing.

"How did you know I was sitting on the chest Jack?" She cocked her head so the sun cast onto her face and caught her hair. "I thought you couldn't read the compass."

Jack widened his eyes, glanced to each side and turned his back to her.

"Where's that Norrington chap with my dirt?"

Elizabeth smiled slyly. "Is there something else here that Mr Sparrow wants?" she whispered silkily.

Jack spun back around with raised eyebrows. "And what makes you say that?"

"I think," Elizabeth purred, "that you knew where the chest was because the needle stopped spinning." She paused and gave him a knowing look. "But then the other thing you wanted must have also been near the chest…must have been right – where _I_ – was standing."

Jack fixed her with a steady look. Deep brown eyes staring into her own, making her insides melt.

"And what, Miss Swann, is your purpose in asking?"

Why _had _she provoked all this? Teasing? To emphasis that she had power over him? Because she wanted him to kiss her? No, no, no…and she had certainly _not_ been disappointed when he hadn't kissed her on the ship.

"Curiosity," she uttered pointedly.

A slow smirk crossed Jack's face.

"Really?" he murmured disbelievingly.

Elizabeth swallowed and glanced back the way Norrington had vanished but the rise obscured her view.

Jack stepped towards her and she drew herself up to her full height unflinchingly, refusing to move backwards even when he stood directly in front of her, clearly invading her personal space.

"Now let me ask you a question Miss Elizabeth," Jack said with a totally solemn face. "Why did you think the compass wasn't working?"

For once she was devoid of an answer, opening her mouth and then shutting it again, setting it in a stubborn line. A small smile curved on his lips.

"Is there something else here that Elizabeth wants?" he asked silkily.

Elizabeth glared at him.

"What do you care what I want?" she replied scathingly.

"I could do my best to make sure you got it," he growled persuasively.

"How can you possibly know what I want?" she whispered defensively, a slight sneer in her tone.

He slipped one arm around her waist.

"I think I have an idea."

Elizabeth glanced down at the arm and back at Jack with raised eyebrows, but she didn't remove it.

"You think that's what all the girls want?"

"Ah, you see, that's where you're wrong," he leaned in closer, so his lips were next to her ear, as if he were going to whisper…then drew back and abruptly changed the subject, though still managing a sultry voice.

"Tell me Elizabeth, what would you do if I did want something that was standing right where you were standing?"

She tilted her head to look at the ground, annoyed at him for toying with her. With light snort she whipped it up again and met his eyes, an answer ready. "I'm sure I don't know Captain. It entirely depends on what you want."

Jack lowered his head slightly, a sly glint in his eye. It was like they were cut off from everything. She couldn't hear anything except the gentle hiss of the ocean and her heavy breathing.

"What I want?" he murmured, their lips almost brushing.

"I brought your stinking dirt," Norrington yelled as he crested the ridge.

"Don't insult my dirt!" Jack shouted back, stepping quickly away from Elizabeth, noting the look of disappointment on her face with interest.

"So where do you want it?" Norrington asked finally, having been standing for several moments while Jack scooped his compass out the sand and brushed it off.

"Oh, you still here?" Jack said dismissively glancing over at the ex-commodore. "I'd actually like it back in the boat. Be much safer there."

For a second Elizabeth thought James was going to smash the jar over Jack's head, but such impulses were not given in to and he marched off with a scowl. Shame. She would have. At the moment she really did feel like smashing something over Jack's head.

"Like I said Miss Swann," Jack addressed her as Norrington moved out of earshot, "not enough time." He lowered his voice seductively. "We can continue this _conversation_ back on the Pearl."

Elizabeth stared at him furiously while he smiled infuriatingly at her.

"Grrr!" she screamed finally and snatched up one of the shovels. To her delight a worried look flitted across Jack's face and he backed off a step. Elizabeth snorted and started to dig angrily at the sand over the chest, throwing as much of it in Jack's direction as possible.

Jack retreated to the slope and eased himself into a lotus position where he remained until a dull thud informed him that the heart of Davy Jones was almost his.

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**Definately not the best thing I've written, but what you gonna do...unless you review and tell me how I can improve it, which would be a big help. **


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